Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), Bronx, NY, United States; Graduate School and University Center, CUNY, New York, NY, United States.
Plant Sci. 2025 Jan;350:112298. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112298. Epub 2024 Oct 21.
Carotenoids are a large class of isoprenoid compounds which are biosynthesized by plants, algae, along with certain fungi, bacteria and insects. In plants, carotenoids provide crucial functions in photosynthesis and photoprotection. Furthermore, carotenoids also serve as precursors to apocarotenoids, which are derived through enzymatic and non-enzymatic cleavage reactions. Apocarotenoids encompass a diverse set of compounds, including hormones, growth regulators, and signaling molecules which play vital roles in pathways associated with plant development, stress responses, and plant-organismic interactions. Regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis indirectly influences the formation of apocarotenoids and bioactive effects on target pathways. Recent discovery of a plethora of new bioactive apocarotenoids across kingdoms has increased interest in expanding knowledge of the breadth of apocarotenoid function and regulation. In this review, we provide insights into the regulation of carotenogenesis, specifically linked to the biosynthesis of apocarotenoid precursors. We highlight plant studies, including useful heterologous platforms and synthetic biology tools, which hold great value in expanding discoveries, knowledge and application of bioactive apocarotenoids for crop improvement and human health. Moreover, we discuss how this field has recently flourished with the discovery of diverse functions of apocarotenoids, thereby prompting us to propose new directions for future research.
类胡萝卜素是一类由植物、藻类以及某些真菌、细菌和昆虫生物合成的异戊二烯化合物。在植物中，类胡萝卜素在光合作用和光保护中发挥着至关重要的作用。此外，类胡萝卜素还可以作为脱羧类胡萝卜素的前体，这些前体可以通过酶促和非酶促裂解反应产生。脱羧类胡萝卜素包含了一系列不同的化合物，包括激素、生长调节剂和信号分子，它们在与植物发育、应激反应和植物-生物相互作用相关的途径中起着至关重要的作用。类胡萝卜素生物合成的调节间接影响脱羧类胡萝卜素的形成和对靶途径的生物活性影响。最近在不同领域发现了大量新的生物活性脱羧类胡萝卜素，这增加了人们对扩大脱羧类胡萝卜素功能和调节范围的知识的兴趣。在这篇综述中，我们深入探讨了类胡萝卜素生物合成的调节，特别是与脱羧类胡萝卜素前体生物合成的关系。我们强调了植物研究，包括有用的异源平台和合成生物学工具，这些研究在扩大生物活性脱羧类胡萝卜素的发现、知识和应用方面具有重要价值，可用于作物改良和人类健康。此外，我们还讨论了这个领域最近如何因脱羧类胡萝卜素的多种功能而蓬勃发展，并促使我们提出了未来研究的新方向。
